Welcome to “The Bluff!” For those of you who are returning students, we welcome you home, and for the new students among us, we are so excited you are joining us here at the University of Portland. I am grateful for this opportunity to offer these words of welcome as we begin a new year in this very special place.
The beginning of the academic year is always an exciting time at UP. As a community, we are invigorated by the spirit of possibility and eager to see what we can accomplish. As you drove down the main drive onto campus with your families and friends to begin this year, you saw that spirit of possibility in action. Following the deconstruction of Howard Hall, we are now days away from breaking ground on our brand new academic building, Dundon-Berchtold Hall, that will provide students, faculty, and staff with more spaces – 63,000 square feet to be exact – to engage with one another.
Whether you are beginning your first fall here on “The Bluff” or entering your last, allow me to offer a few words of advice for this new year. Take advantage of the many opportunities here to grow academically, socially, and spiritually. Get involved in faculty-student research, clubs, service activities, and hall events. Draw inspiration from the many members of this community—professors, hall staff, your fellow students—who contribute so much to our shared life here. Come to know one of the great hallmarks of a UP education: character formation and the study of applied ethics.
Welcome home to the University of Portland. I hope you feel a strong sense of belonging in this community that is so happy you are here. Please know that I am praying for you and the year ahead.
